Office Information

Relaxation Exercises

Relaxation exercises are easy to learn and implement, and can be remarkably
effective in addressing stress, test anxiety, all kinds of phobias, and other
similar concerns. Below are two exercises recorded by Dr. Steve Sprinkle,
director of the Counseling Center at USD, and Dr. Bonnie Lambourn, a staff
psychologist at Hobart and William Smith Colleges’ Counseling Center.

The first exercise, called a “Progressive Relaxation Exercise,” is loosely
based on one described in Chapter 4 of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction
Workbook (5th edition), a best-selling self-help book (see more about this
book below). This exercise will direct you to systematically relax your
major muscle groups by briefly flexing your muscles and then slowly releasing
the tension. It begins by having you flex your facial muscles, and
continues with your neck and shoulders, and on down to your arms, abdomen, and
legs. The exercise ends by directing you to breathe deeply and slowly as
you review parts of your body. The recording is about nine minutes long.

The second exercise, called a “Combination Relaxation Exercise,” blends
several relaxation techniques, which used together can have a synergistic effect
in creating a deep relaxation experience. It is loosely based on Chapter
11 of The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (5th edition, see
more below). In this exercise, you will progressively release tension from
your major muscle groups, and then will be guided in using deep breathing,
affirming statements, and the visualization of a “safe place” to achieve a
relaxed state. The recording is about 15 minutes long.

You can listen to either exercise directly from this website, or you can
download the exercises onto your computer. The recordings of these
exercises are not copyrighted—they can be freely used or copied to a cd,
computer hard drive, MP3 player, etc.

To listen to the exercises directly from this website, click the Play
button at the right (Flash plugin required) or click the link to
play the audio in you browser.

Click the play button
to
start audio and the stop button
to
stop audio.

Steps for using the relaxation exercises

Try to practice whichever exercise you prefer at least once or twice a
day. Expect your ability to relax to improve as you continue practicing,
and expect to practice two or three weeks before you become genuinely
proficient. Once you learn how to do one of the exercises, you may no
longer require the recorded instructions, and you can tailor the exercise to
your own liking.

Avoid practicing within an hour before or after a meal (either hunger or
feeling full may distract you). Also avoid practicing immediately after
engaging in vigorous exercise.

Sit quietly and in a comfortable position, with your legs uncrossed and
your arms resting at your sides. This is especially important when you are
first learning the exercise.

Adopt a calm, accepting attitude towards your practice. Don't worry
about how well you're doing or about possible interruptions. Instead, know
that with repetition your ability to relax will grow.

When you are ready, close your eyes, begin listening to the recording,
and follow the directions. As you complete the exercise, you can expect
your mind to wander a bit—when this happens you can simply re-direct your
focus back to the recording.

Once you've finished, stretch, look around and remain still another
minute or two.

As you become skilled with either of the exercises, try applying them to
specific situations that might otherwise be anxiety provoking, such as
tests, oral presentations, difficult social situations, job interviews,
insomnia, and so forth. If you need help learning or applying the
exercises, consider meeting with a counselor at the Counseling Center.
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Additional Resources

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (5th edition), by
Martha Davis, Elizabeth R. Eshelman, and Matthew McKay is a popular self-help
book that provides a wide variety of sensible, straightforward, and effective
strategies for addressing everyday stress. The book was published in 2000
by New Harbinger Publications. The book is available from Internet
booksellers and most large conventional bookstores. Follow this link to the publisher’s website.

Special thanks to Mike Black, manager of WEOS Public Radio in Geneva, New
York, for his help in recording the relaxation exercises. Follow this link to learn more about WEOS.